Eternal Impact by Ordinary People

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Eternal Impact by Ordinary People Text: Acts 8 Bible Teacher Ben Stuart 1. Read Acts 1. a. What did Luke, the author of Acts, report to Theophilus about Jesus' last days on earth? b. Put yourself in the shoes of the apostles. How would you feel if you were the first to be given the task described in verse 8? c. How are we equipped for this task, according to the passage? d. How did the disciples respond to all that they had seen and heard? e. Peter goes to Scripture immediately when he speaks. How do these words of David affect their confidence as well as give them direction? 2. Read Acts 8. a. In this passage the command to be witnesses in all of Judea and Samaria is fulfilled. What are the causes and extent of the spread of the gospel at this time? b. How was Philip's ministry to the eunuch the beginning of the witness "to the ends of the earth"? c. What principles of evangelism have you observed throughout this passage? d. How can you apply the principles we see in this passage to having spiritual conversations in your current context? Do you ever pray to be used by God before you walk into work, sit at your favorite coffee shop, play with your kids in the neighborhood, etc.? What is going on in those people’s lives that you could ask about that might lead to a gospel conversation? Do you even know what is going on in their lives, or do you need to start there? e. How can you incorporate Ben’s instructions to us to resist any urges to initiate through jokes, advice, or a sermon, but to begin with a question? SEE STUDY DEEPER f. What awkwardness do you have (or anticipate) when engaging in intentional gospel conversations? g. Have you found yourself so focused on your responsibilities and priorities that you’ve unintentionally missed opportunities to be used by God? 3. Ben taught us that God wants to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. How do we see this principle to be true in the following passages, and what do these passages teach us about God’s purposes for choosing to work through ordinary people?



a. Exodus 3-4:17 b. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 c. Luke 5:1-11 4. Read Matthew 28:18-20. a. What is the foundation of Jesus’ command to make disciples, and how does that motivate the fulfillment of His command? b. What are you doing to make disciples? Is making disciples a defining component of your life? c. We should all feel the weight of this command, but what encouragement does Jesus give after He lays out this monumental mission?

Challenge: Take inventory of the various spheres of influence that God has placed you in. If you're willing, take some time to pray and listen for God's leading to speak to others about Christ. Take a moment to write out any reflections or notes from that time. Who might Christ be prompting you to build a relationship with to share Him? Prayer: Father, I come to you in the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ. Please fill me with the power of Your Holy Spirit so I can be an effective witness for you (Acts 1:8). I pray that the fruit of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—would be evident in my life (Galatians 5:22-23). Cause my light to shine before others so that they may see my good works and give You glory (Matthew 5:16). Lord, help me also to be prepared to verbally share the Gospel. Enable me to share it with gentleness and respect for others (1 Peter 3:15). Please open doors for me to share Your Word, and help me to make it clear when I speak (Colossians 4:3-4). Help me not to be ashamed of my Lord Jesus, and to remember that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and selfcontrol (2 Timothy 1:7-8). Empower me to speak boldly as I proclaim the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19). Lord, please also give me Your compassion for the lost. Help me to see their true condition, and to be moved with love to reach out to them. Send me as a laborer into Your harvest (Matthew 9:36-38). Amen.





STUDY DEEPER Have you ever been asked a question that has altered the direction of your life? I remember a few in my personal life. These questions radically shaped the course of my life and ministry. • • •

Asked by my pastor: What are you doing about it? Asked by my friend: Have you thought about becoming a preacher? Asked by a really close friend: Do you ever feel like you are living in the wrong place?

In each case, the direction of my life was altered by the use of a well-timed question. Are there great questions to use in evangelism? I give a list below. I teach on conversational skills in evangelism. While I believe it’s appropriate and a good practice to know a gospel presentation by heart, I think that asking good questions unlocks further avenues of conversations that leads to life change. There is a time for questions. There is a time for giving answers and the reason for the hope within us. There is a time for questions to ask when evangelizing. When questions are raised in the right time, the search for answers can move a person forward in their journey to faith in giant leaps. Questions help people come up with their own solutions for their own unique circumstances. If you learn to use questions, you can help people discover their spiritual thirst and grow towards Christ. Powerful questions for an evangelist help others to: • Take time to think about their sin, their need for God, the absence of God in their life • Gain information about Jesus, who Jesus is, what Jesus has done • Promote personal discovery of Jesus • Generate options about how to respond to God’s work in Jesus • Uncover obstacles or questions that remain unanswered • Determine next steps in the journey to faith towards Jesus. Many of us who do personal evangelism have found useful questions or statements to help continue or start a conversation that potentially leads to a conversation about the gospel.



For example, sometimes I have asked long distance truckers: “What do you do to take care of your soul as you travel around the country?” The quality and level of their response can encourage further conversation or quickly reveal that there is no interest in talking along those lines. Collection of Evangelistic Conversation Starters I’ve prepared a collection of questions for evangelism over various times on this website. These spiritual questions you can use to get a conversation started. Ask some of them today. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

44 Spiritual Conversation Starter Questions Using Questions In Spiritual Conversations What is the Question Behind the Question? 20 Evangelism Questions To Start a conversation 14 Helpful Questions for the Evangelist 7 Conversational Easter Questions Evangelistic Questions for Evangelism 5 Great Spiritual Conversation Questions What is the best question to ask someone to start a conversation about evangelism?

What can you do in the next 90 days to grow in your evangelism skills? https://www.evangelismcoach.org/2013/the-power-of-questions-in-conversational-evangelism/